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To Go Diesel Or Not


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So I've been eyeing up a few diesel Zetec S for a while now (an upgrade from my 1.25 Zetec petrol!) but I don't know if it's worth it

Problem I have is the use for work (some weeks I literally drive to and from work and others maybe 500-1000 miles on longer journeys!) so yea in general I'm not sure if it would be worth it

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What's your annual mileage?

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It'll probably be close to 15k this year maybe more maybe a little less

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Always a tricky one as you have to factor in the cost of the fuel, cost of repair if anything goes wrong and residual when it's time to sell.

Personally, with a small light car I would stick to petrol. Diesel only tends to make sense on cars over 2litre. I also prefer the way petrol drives and I am not worrying any more about the flywheel, EGR and injectors etc.

Also think about how much it would cost you to change the car and how long it would take to get that money back in fuel savings. Probably quite a long time.

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Always a tricky one as you have to factor in the cost of the fuel, cost of repair if anything goes wrong and residual when it's time to sell.

Personally, with a small light car I would stick to petrol. Diesel only tends to make sense on cars over 2litre. I also prefer the way petrol drives and I am not worrying any more about the flywheel, EGR and injectors etc.

Also think about how much it would cost you to change the car and how long it would take to get that money back in fuel savings. Probably quite a long time.

Ahh luckily car allowance / fuel claimed back covers most of my costs + some spare in the bank so physically changing the car doesnt really matter to much to me to an extent (unless it becomes more expensive than my car allowance!)

I was hoping it'd make more sense due to what I carry sometimes in it (pumps/loggers/lifting bars etc etc) so it can add a fair bit of weight - as we all know the 1.25 engine isnt brilliant! and the 1.4 didnt seem like anything fantastic either!

And for the longer drags 150/200miles each way would I not be better off with the diesel (psst I'd like to keep the car compact as its for personal use aswell!) I dont really want to rush out for a focus or such!

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The 1.4 is no hotrod but it is surprising how well it copes with weight. 2 of us with the rear seats down and 2 weeks worth of holiday gear filling up the back and it went along feeling the same as it is empty and pulled in 5th on the motorway no problem. Only time it showed was on hills.

You will get the extra torque with the diesel which will help there.

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I have a diesel ZS and I think it's great! Could be faster yeah but I can drive it quite hard and still get 50mpg, driving normally I get over 60mpg.

My annual mileage is around 13k so would probably suit a petrol also, but I prefer the low down power of the diesel overall!

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My Zs is diesel and its a 1.6, didn't know that they put 1.4 in them. Doesn't show in the specs in the brochure.

I get on average 50mpg from the tdci against the 37mpg from my previous petrol version. Thats an extra 105 miles per tank full at a cost of 6p per litre more than petrol. 42 litre tank equates to £2,50 extra per tank full for an extra 105 miles.

£0 to £30 VED per year as opposed to whatever it is for the petrol version, is that £120 pa.

You have to work out the maths for yourself to decide if its worth it or not.

Most posters on this forum have already made up their minds and post hoping they everyone will agree with them, seeing as you have already considered the Tdci I'd think that what you have your heart set on.

Good luck which ever way you go.

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I assumed he was referring to the 1.4 petrol :)

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I certainly was referring to the 1.4 petrol

I'm not intending to rush out tomorrow and buy one was just wondering if in general it was a better option than going for a petrol instead (obviously depending if my mileage will go north of the 15k mark)

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Golden rule ( as stated by the likes of Quinten Wilson etc),,, more than 12k miles a year and a diesel may be the wise choice, in most cases the resale value is better too. I have a diesel, and only cover around 4k miles a year, but having the luck of a free fuel supply at the moment made it a bit of a no brainer for me lol. Love mine, 2008 1.6tdci, had it nearly a year, and it's not missed a beat, sailed through it's MOT, and only costs £20 a year to tax. Win win in my eyes.

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Diesel will he far cheaper, fuel is only a few % more expensive but it'll return around 15% more miles at least if doing long runs that is. If you are doing long runs it'll certainly be a lot better to live with over a small petrol.

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Cheers chaps - I think I'll keep it on the radar but not rush out and get one today!

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Ive got 1.5tdci Titanium, its a great car had it 3 weeks and done nearly 2000 miles so far and all good! I love the spec of the car, Ive also got Full Leather and the City Pack, the car stands out and is a really fun drive, Im currently getting +56mpg but hoping this goes up when it settles down!

20140426 111553

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Ive got 1.5tdci Titanium, its a great car had it 3 weeks and done nearly 2000 miles so far and all good! I love the spec of the car, Ive also got Full Leather and the City Pack, the car stands out and is a really fun drive, Im currently getting +56mpg but hoping this goes up when it settles down!

Is that on the computer or calculated from actual usage? I ask because by current 2012 Edge claims to be getting 56.2 on the computer (not reset that for for the last few fills) but I'm getting about 100 miles to £10 of diesel which I think works out at nearly 60.5 if I've got the maths right.

Should be getting my 1.5 Titanium a bit earlier than first thought. Maybe another week or two. As long as they don't lose it between Dagenham, Speke and here.

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